A Special 30th Anniversary Edition of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Boston Harbor Blog

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

One Community. One Blue. One Beach!

Blue Cross/ Blue Shield Annual Service Day

with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

On September 18, 2013, eighty employees from Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for a beach cleanup in
South Boston.

The 80 members of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s “Blue Crew” were part of the
company’s 3rd annual company-wide service day, which included 3,000
employees and 16,000 service hours across the entire state.

The “Blue Crew” partnered with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and spent a
full day removing trash, trimming bushes and overgrown brush, and
weeding pathways and sidewalks that line the beach and adjacent parks
and ball fields. In total, the “Blue Crew” beautified 12+ acres of
public parks, including 2 miles of sandy swimming beaches and 3 miles of
urban parkways and removed more than 7 tons of trash and landscape
debris.

Andrew Dreyfus, President & CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts and Jeff Bellows, VP of of Corportate Citizenship were on
hand – and hands on - at the event.

“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Save the Harbor/Save the
Bay to protect the public’s $4.5 billion investment in the Boston Harbor
Cleanup. Our employees share the mission to restore our public beaches
and our harbor”, said Dreyfus. "Inspired by the vision and goals of our
community partners, Service Day gives our associates the opportunity to
strengthen cities, towns, and neighborhoods across Massachusetts and
continues our more than 75 year legacy of community commitment - which
has been a hallmark of Blue Cross since our founding."

Save the Harbor’s President Patty Foley, who learned to swim at L Street
Beach, was impressed by what the “Blue Crew” accomplished and is proud
to have earned their support. “We value our partnership with Blue Cross
Blue Shield and their commitment to our community. They are passionate
about our mission to restore our harbor and beaches while creating the
next generation of harbor stewards. BCBS is a truly a leader in
corporate citizenship in our city and beyond.”

Jay Stack participated in last year’s service day with Save the Harbor
and I stepped up and volunteered to be Site Coordinator for BC/BS
Service Day 2013. “I grew up in this town and had many fun on these
beaches. It is really rewarding to give a little back.”

Bandi “Weed Killer” Braimn tackled weeds and invasive species with
gusto. “What a productive day on Carson Beach”, said Bandi as he trimmed
the overgrown brush among the sea grass. “My granddaughter lives here
so we bring her to these beaches. This is a great opportunity to give
back and teach her the importance of community service.”

Thanks to everyone who took part in this great event. All of us at Save the Harbor really appreciate your hard work and commitment to our mission and our community.

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Welcome!

Save the Harbor/Save the Bayis a non-profit public-interest Boston Harbor environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, the Boston Harbor Islands, the Boston Harbor region's public beaches, Boston's waterfront and the marine environment and share them with the public, for everyone to enjoy.

Since 1986, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has been the driving force behind the transformation of Boston Harbor from one of the dirtiest urban harbors in America to one of the cleanest in the world.

As a result of our advocacy, Boston Harbor has been transformed from a "Harbor of Shame" into a source of recreational, educational and economic opportunity and civic pride. Today the beaches of South Boston are among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, the Boston Harbor Islands are a National Park, and Boston's waterfront has become a compelling destination for residents and visitors alike.

Working with a broad base of civic, corporate, government, scientific, philanthropic and community partners, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay continues to strengthen the connections between communities and the harbor, and promote the increasingly important impact Boston Harbor has on the region’s economy.

Each year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay runs 2 freeYouth Environmental Education Programs that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring Boston Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. Since 2003, we have connected more than 130,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.

Our "Boston Harbor Explorers" program serves thousands of young people at the Courageous Sailing Center in Charlestown, the Piers Park Sailing Center and Constitution Beach in East Boston, DCR's Carson Beach in South Boston, at Community Boating on the Charles River, on Black's Creek in Quincy, and at Camp Harbor View on Long Island and at The Boston Children's Museum.Our"All Access Boston Harbor"program departs weekdays from the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in South Boston, and brings thousands of youth and teens from more than 100 community groups to Georges or Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park on the Provincetown II.

OurBetter Beaches Program supports dozens of free events and activities on the region's public beaches each year in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

We hope we can count on you as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary by sharing Boston Harbor with 30,000 young people on 30 free island excursions and at 30 free events and programs on the regon's public beaches in 2016.For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay please visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org